Fort Kent Elementary School Student to Hold Bike-A-Thon to Benefit County Dialysis

While they may not be able to physically attend next month's Power to the Pedal in Presque Isle, some students in Fort Kent have come up with their own way of participating in the event and raising money for County Dialysis.

Students are Fort Kent Elementary School will hold a bike-a-thon on Saturday, May 30th with proceeds going to the County Dialysis Center in Presque Isle.

Nurses at the dialysis center recognized the need for extra funding to assist with the day-to-day operations of the center.  They created an event called “Power to the Pedal” where a number of nurses are obtaining sponsors and riding stationary bikes.  The wheels on the bikes will be kept turning for 12 hours with different shifts of nurses and physical therapists coming to relieve current riders.  They hope to raise enough money to help sustain the center.

Upon seeing the story of how Power to the Pedal came to be, the student council in Fort Kent wanted to help in their own way. They will hold their own “Power to the Pedal” fundraiser and include students in their district to help this worthy cause. The County Dialysis Center is the only site in the county to offer dialysis services.  Should this center close, patients would need to travel to Lincoln or Bangor to receive treatment three times per week, a hardship not many could afford. This could also mean that many patients would need to move from the county in order to have the services they need.  It is the hope that with enough fundraising, this will never be the case, and all patients can stay near home with their loved ones.

Students in Fort Kent wishing to participate in the bike-a-thon are asked to get sponsors from family and friends. All who wish to participate need to collect at least $ 20.00 in sponsors to be included in the ride.

The top three fundraisers will receive special recognition and prizes.  Students with the most laps around the school will also receive recognition and prizes.

Our hats are off to the students in Fort Kent for helping such a worthy cause!

It's not too late for you to form your own team to help raise funds for County Dialysis.